Step 11 of 14 · Build a Campfire That Lights First Try
Feed the fire up the size ladder
Feed the fire up the size ladder — step 11 of 14 in Build a Campfire That Lights First Try. Once kindling catches, add the next size up — never skip a size. Matchstick-thin to pencil, pencil to finger, finger to thumb, thumb to…
Free outdoor skills tip: Feed the fire up the size ladder (step 11 of 14 from "Build a Campfire That Lights First Try").
Once kindling catches, add the next size up — never skip a size. Matchstick-thin to pencil, pencil to finger, finger to thumb, thumb to wrist. Each addition should catch within 15 seconds. If it smoulders, you jumped too far; pull it out and add something thinner.
Place new wood where flames already lick, not on unburned areas. Lean it so air can flow underneath. A fire needs oxygen as much as fuel — burying it in a pile of logs smothers it.
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